Printing apparatus and method for assembly



Nov. 7, 1961 Filed Dec. 4, 1958 J. H. LEGO PRINTING APPARATUS AND METHODFOR ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOI? JOHN H. LEGO rim 7 M A TTORNEYNov. 7, 1961 J. H. LEGO 3,007,400

PRINTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLY Filed Dec. 4, 1958 3Sheets-Sheet 2 Nov. 7, 1961 .1. H. LEGO 3,007,400

PRINTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR ASSEMBLY 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec.4, 1958 United States Patent 3,007,400 PRINTING APPARATUS AND METHOD FORASSEMBLY John H. Lego, Rochester, Minn., assignor to InternationalBusiness Machines Corporation, New York, N.Y'., a corporation of NewYork Filed Dec. 4, 1958, SenNo. 778,166 4 Claims. (Cl. 101-109) Theinvention relates totype bar apparatus and method for assembling thesame which are adapted for use in printing machines and record cardcontrolled tabulating and accounting machines and, more particularly, totype bar apparatus and method for assembling the same where in typeelements are disposed within a type element carrier and biased in aparticular position with respect to the carrier.

In the past, eiforts have been made to provide type bar assemblies ofthe kind including a plurality of type ele ments disposed within a typeelement carrier and means for biasing said type elements in a homeposition with respect to-the type element carrier which are lessexpensive, of simpler, construction, and more efiective inoperation. Inattempting toachieve these objectives, type bar assemblies have beendevised whereinthe individual type elements are biased in the homeposition by a common biasing. means. While this form of constructiongenerally reduced the cost of the biasing elements and the cost forassembling the type bars, the resultant type bar assemblies were not aseffective in operation as in the instance where the individual typeelements are biased separately.

In the present invention, the eifectiveness of operation has beenpreserved but the cost of the elements comprising the type barassemblies and the method for constructing the same has been greatlyreduced. The effectiveness of the operation of the type bar assemblieshas been preserved by providing individual elements for. biasingassociated individual type elements. However, the'individual biasingelements are commonly connected .in a novel manner to facilitate easierassembly of the type bars and thereby greatly reduce their cost.

While the novel arrangement of the commonly connected individual biasingelements resultsiin a substantial reduction of cost for. the type bars,still greater savings are derived through a novel methodfor assemblingthe type bars. To further enhance the-value of the novel arrangement ofthe commonly connected individual biasimg. elements, a novel method forassembling the type bars has been provided wherein the individual typeelements are moldedin a. manner to be properly spaced from each other.and so'that they will be oriented'in. their re.- spective positions asoccupiedin .the type element carrier. The individual type elementsaremaintainedin. their pre= oriented positions by a common. connectingstrip... -In this manner, the. type. elementsnare capable. ofi being.inserted intothe type element carrier asa uni-t in a single step andstill-occupy their proper relative positions..

With the type elements properly'inserted into the type element carrier,the commonly connectedaindividual bias ing elements are inserted as asingleunitsothat the indie vidnal. biasing elements become. associatedwith-thev indi-. vidual type elements to urge the. same in the homeposi+ tion. After the commonly connected. individnalbiasing elements areinserted, the cover forthetype element..carrier. is attached tocontainthe. type elements and biasing elements-in place- To completethe. type bar assembly, the common connecting strip. is. disconnectedor. severed from the. individual type elements to. leavethe same. freeto. be selectively movedonreciprocated relative to-thetype elementcarrier to effect aprint impression,

Accordingly, a prime object of this invention is to prov in the-typeelement carrier as a second vide an improved type bar assembly which isrelatively inexpensive.

Another. object. of thisinvention is to provide an improved type barassembly which is of simple construction.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a type bar assemblyhaving individual type elements biased by individual biasing elementswhich are commonly connected.-

The feature of providing, an improved method for as sembling typeelements into a'type element carrier is dis closed herein and is claimedin a copending division appli cation Serial No. 806,827 filed April1.6,- 19-59, now US. Patent No. 2,935,018, dated May 3, 1960.

Other objects of the invention will be pointed out. in the followingdescription and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings,which. disclose, byway of examples, the principle of the invention andthe best mode, which has been. contemplated. of applyingv thatprinciple.

Inthe-drawings: g

FIG. 1 is a side elevational viewof the type elements mounted within thetype element carrier and showing.

one of the type elements displaced by a plunger toward a piece of'paperinterposed between an inked ribbon and platen, v V v V I FIG. 2 is aside. elevational view of the type bar as.- sembly with a portion ofthecover plate broken away to expose the commonly connected springelements,.

FIG. 3 is a sectionalviewtaken onthe line 3-3 in FIG. 2 a v FIG. 4 is aperspective view of the channelv member of the type element carrier forcontainingthe type elements,

FIG. 5 .is a perspective view of the commonly nected springelements, 7

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of one ofthe type elements, 7

FIG. '7 is a perspective view of the spaced commonly connectedpre-oriented type elements ready for. insertion into the type elementcarrier,

FIG. 8 is a side elevationalvi'ew of the type element's positionedwithin the type element carrier as a first step in the assembly'of thetype bar; and

FIG. 9 is aside elevational viewof the spring elements positioned tobias the type elements in the home position step in the assem bly of thetype bar.

Referring to the drawings, the invention is illustrated, by way ofexample, in FIG. 1 with a'type element carrier 20 comprising. a verticalbar 21? providedwith a headelement 22 fixed thereto at one end thereofand with individual. typeelements 23 mounted in the head element.

carry the same forward from a'home positionintdcontact I with an inkedribbon 26-tocreate animpression 'ofthe faced the type element 23 upon apiece of paper 27 disposed between the ribbon 26 anda platen28; I

As the plunger 24 carries'thealigned type element'23 forward, anassociatedispring element 29, as seen inFIG. 3, is: compressed so than.upon disengagement of. the plunger 24, the type element.23'isreturnedfor restored by the'associated spring element 29 to the.home.- positions The head element 220i the type element carlierlzll,shown. in greater. detail in FIGS.- 3 and 4, comprises a channel member31'. wherein" opposite sides 32 an'd'33 of the channel member 31.haveslots 35 to accommodate the type. elementsv 23 in. a mannento permitthesametoslide therein.

The individual type elements 23, FIGS. 6 and 7, have a faceportion 34and an I-shapedbody portion 36. Flanges 37 and 38 of the I-shaped bodyportion 36 gene rall y serve to limit the degree of horizontal movementof the type elements 23 relative to the head element 22 of the typeelement carrier 20. A web portion 39 of the I-shaped body portion 36 'isprovided with a channel 41 having sides 41a and 41b to receive theassociated biasing or springelement 29. p r The spring elements 29,-FIGS 3, and 9, are identical in shape and may be formed of resilientmaterial such as the commercially available thermoplastic materialsLexan or Delrin. The spring elements 29 are parallel spaced from eachother at an angle and commonly connected at one end 30 while free at theother end 30a. The spring elements 29 are commonly connected at the ends30 by a tie member 42 which may be formed integral with the springelements 29 to form a comb-shaped biasing member '43, as in FIG. 5. Theindividual spring elements 29 and common connecting tie member 42 areadapted to rcsidein thechannels 41 of the associated type elements 23positioned in the head element 22 of the type element carrier 20 so asto be either flush with or below the upper surfaces 32a and 33a of thesides 32 and 33 of the channel member 31,]as in'FIGS. 2, 3 and 9. Whileit is not criticalthat the type elements 23 and spring elements 29 andcommon connecting tie member 42 do not extend above the upper surfaces32a and 33a of the sides 32 and 33 of the channel member 31, such anarrangement pcrmits the use of a flat cover plate 44 to hold thespringelements 29 and common connecting tie member 42 within the channels 41of the type elements 23. It also prevents the type elements '23 fromdropping out of the slots 35 in the sides 32 and 33 of the channelmember 31. The plate 44 may be secured to the channel member 31'by anysuitable fastening means such as screws 46.

The channel member 31 may be closed at both ends to prevent longitudinaldisplacement of the common connecting tie member 42 for the springelements29. Alternatively, the channel member 31 may be closed at oneend or the end connected to. the vertical bar 21 and provided with anangular shaped plate 47 fixed to extend inwardly therefrom at the otherend so as to be parallel with and lie adjacent to the spring element 29at said other end, as in FIG. 4.

Under the arrangement of apparatus just described, each type element 23.will be individually'biased in the home position by an associated springelement 29. With the .type elements 23 disposed in the slots 35 in thesides 32 and 33 of the channel member 31, the spring elements 29,together with the common connecting tie member 42, are positioned sothat the free end 30a of the springs 29 abut the side 41b of the channel41 of the associated type element 23 and the outer edge 42a of thecommon'connecting tie member 42 abuts the inner face 32b of the side 32of the channel member 31. By this arrangement, the type elements 23cannot be displaced from the head element 22 because, even through thespring elements 29 are 24 carries the aligned type element 23 forward,the associated spring element,29 is compressed; however, the flange 38of the type element 23 prevents overstressment of the associated spring29 and the displacement of the type element 23 from the channel member31. Upon the return of the plunger 24, the'type element 23, which hadbeen carried forward thereby, will be urged rearward to the homeposition by the associated spring element 29,

which had been compressed as the type element 23 was carried forward bythe plunger 24.

The type elements 23, described above, may be molded is used for moldingthe spring elements.

While the foregoing describes the novel structure of the type barassembly which illustrates the present invention, the followingdescribes a novel method for assembling the type bar.

The type elements 23 are molded in pre-oriented positions and commonlyconnected by a tie member 51, as shown in FIG. 7. After the individualtype elements 23 are molded, they are maintained in their pre-orientedpositions by the common connecting tie member 51. The type elements 23,which appear in their proper relative positions, are placed as a unit 52into the channel member 31 of the head element 22 so that the faces 34of the type elements 23 lie outwardly from the side 32 of the channelmember 31, the body portions 36 of the type elements 23 reside in theslots 35 in the sides 32 and 33 of the channel member 31 and theterminal flanges 38 of the type elements 23 and common connecting tiemember 51 lie outwardly from the side 33 of said channel member 31, asin FIG. 8.

With the type elements 23 properly positioned with respect to the headelement 22 of the type element carrier 20, the spring elements 29 orbiasing member 43 is placed as a unit intothe channels 41 of the typeelements 23 to become associated therewith and so that the free end 30aof each spring element 29 bears against the side 41b of the channel 41in the associated type element 23 and the connecting tie member 42abutsagainst the inner face 32b of the side 32 of the channel member 31. Thetype elements 23 are now individually biased by the individual springelements 29; however, the type elements 23 are still commonly connectedby the common connecting tie member The cover plate 44 may now bepositioned and attached to the channel member 31 of the head element 22so that the type elements 23 and spring elements 29 are prevented fromfalling out of the type element carrier 20. V

With the cover plate 44 properly secured to the channel member 31, theindividual type elements 23 may become physically disassociated fromeach other by severing the common connecting tie member 51 therefromalong the line 53. The flanges 38 of the type elements 23 extend to thecommon connecting tie member 51; hence, when severing the type elements23 from the common connecting tie member 51, the cut is made so as toleave a proper flange 38 for each of the type elements 23. After thetype elements 23 are disconnected from the common connecting tie member51, the type bar is completely assembled and ready for use, as shown inFIG. 1.

From the above, it is seen that a type bar assembly has been providedwith a novel structure for biasing the type elements in the homeposition relative to the type element carrier.

Further, 'it is seen that the type bar assembly so described isrelatively inexpensive and efiective in operation.

Also, it is seen that a novel method of assembly has been provided tofurther reduce the cost and time of assembling the type bar.

While there have been shown and described and pointed out thefundamental novel features of the invention as applied to a preferredembodiment, it will be understood that various omissions andsubstitutions and changes in the form and details of the deviceillustrated and in its operation may be made by those skilled in theart, without departing from the spirit of the invention. It is theintention, therefore, to be limited only as indicated by the scope ofthe following claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A type bar assembly comprising: a type element carrier having a baseand spaced apart slotted side members extending at right anglestherefrom; a plurality of type elements, each having a type face, a bodyportion and a terminal end slidably disposed in said slotted sidemembers to span the spacing therebetween and extend outwardly therefrom,said body portion of said type elements being provided with a centralchannel having opposite side walls and flanges inwardly adjacent to saidtype face and terminal end to restrict relative movement of the typeelements relative to said type element carrier; and a plurality ofspring elements, each having two ends with one of the ends thereofcommonly connected and the other end being free, said spring elementsadapted to be positioned within said channel of said type elements sothat the commonly connected ends of the spring elements abut one of theslotted side members of the type element carrier and the free ends abutone of opposite side Walls of said central channel to bias the typeelements in a home position.

2. A type bar assembly comprising: a comb-shaped biasing member having aplurality of spaced a part spring elements connected to project from acommon member; a plurality of type elements, each being recessed toaccommodate said common member and one of said spring elements; and atype element carrier adapted to contain said type elements and saidbiasing member so that each type element is biased in a predeterminedposition relative to the type element carrier by said one of said springelements accommodated thereby.

3. A type bar assembly comprising: a comb-shaped biasing member having aplurality of spaced apart spring elements fixed parallel to each otherand at an angle to project from a common member; a plurality of typeelements, each being provided with an open channel having opposite sidewalls; and a type element carrier adapted to slidably contain saidplurality of type elements in a mannet that the type elements areparallel longitudinally spaced from each other and to contain saidbiasing member so that the common member thereof is restrained againstmovement and the spring elements engage one of the side walls of saidopposite side walls of the channel in said type elements to urge theassociated type elements in a predetermined position relative to saidtype element carrier.

7 4. A type bar assembly comprising a type element carrier; a pluralityof type elements slidably disposed in said type element carrier; andbiasing means for biasing each type element of said plurality of typeelements in a home position relative to said type element carrier, saidbiasing means comprising a composite structure of a common connectingmember and a plurality of spring elements connected at one end to saidconnnon connecting member and free at the other end, said plurality ofspring elements being so disposed relative to said common connectingmember as to be capable of deflection in the plane of said compositestructure, said composite structure being oriented relative to said typeelement carrier and said plurality of type elements so that said commonconnecting member abuts against said type element carrier and the freeend of each spring element of said plurality of spring elements abutsagainst an associated type element whereby, upon axial movement of saidtype elements, said spring elements are deflected in the plane of saidcomposite structure and thereafter return said type elements to saidhome position.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS423,576 Shucker Mar. 18, 1890 950,029 Roberts Feb. 22, 1910 1,150,801Alexander Aug. 17, 1915 1,810,089 Schmutz June 16, 1931 2,076,713 FordApr. 13, 1937 2,606,491 Wockenfuss Aug. 12, 1952 2,619,900 StuivenbergDec. 2, 1952 2,730,945 Anderson Jan. 17, 1956 2,802,418 Carver et alAug. 13, 1957

